Iowa high school soccer roundup: 11 things that stood out last week

A look at what stood out in Iowa high school soccer last week, with a focus on The Gazette area.

1. Cedar Rapids Washington earned its first win of the boys’ soccer season last Tuesday, 4-2 at Dubuque Wahlert. Sophomore Mwena Tambwe scored three goals and classmate Shabani Mabele had two assists. The Warriors made it back-to-back Ws with a 3-0 win over Western Dubuque on Friday.

2. A 2OT win over Ankeny lifted Johnston to the top spot in the Class 3A boys’ rankings. The Dragons (13-1) moved up four spots after the 3-2 victory, while the Hawks slipped to No. 2. Ankeny (14-1) was coming off a 2-1 overtime victory over Ankeny Centennial.

3. Janelle Minor scored three goals, all assisted by Cassie White, as the Cedar Rapids Kennedy girls knocked off 3A No. 15 Dubuque Hempstead, 3-2 on Friday. The Cougars (7-4) moved into third in the MVC Valley at 2-1 with a game against co-leading Cedar Rapids Xavier on Friday highlighting this week’s schedule.

4. Four undefeated girls’ teams fell last week, leaving us with three remaining: West Des Moines Valley (13-0), Dallas Center-Grimes (14-0) and Western Christian (8-0). Class 1A No. 3 Dike-New Hartford handed 1A No. 7 Hudson its first loss last Monday, leading 5-0 at the half and winning 6-3. Then DNH took its first loss Friday, 3-0 at 1A No. 1 Davenport Assumption (9-3). Also Friday, Valley gave Norwalk its first defeat, 4-1, in a battle of the top-ranked teams in 3A and 2A. And on Tuesday, Ankeny Centennial became the first team to score on and beat Ankeny in a 1-0 result.

5. Davenport Assumption (7-4) went from No. 5 to No. 1 in the Class 1A boys’ rankings, following up its Catholic Schools Invitational title with a 3-0 win over North Scott last week. Mid-Prairie (9-1), No. 1 all season, fell to No. 16 after last week’s loss to Iowa City Regina.

6. The Center Point-Urbana girls have won six of their last seven, including a pair of wins over ranked teams last week. The unranked Stormin’ Pointers (9-3) beat then-No. 9 Solon, 2-1, on Tuesday and No. 15 Waterloo Columbus 3-0 on Friday. The only loss in this stretch was a respectable, 1-0, scoreline at 2A No. 5 Waverly-Shell Rock.

7. After not being ranked all year, Cedar Rapids Xavier entered at No. 7 in this week’s Class 2A boys’ rankings. The Saints (6-4) picked up a big, 2-1, win over Waterloo West on Friday that kept them tied for the MVC Mississippi lead with Iowa City West at 4-0.

8. The eight regional brackets in each of the three girls’ soccer classes were released by the IGHSAU on Friday. Just like last year, Linn-Mar in 3A and Cedar Rapids Xavier in 2A are the only two Gazette area top seeds.

9. Tuesday’s 1-0 win over Iowa City Liberty helped Cedar Rapids Prairie more than Friday’s loss in penalties at Iowa City High hurt. The Hawks bumped up two spots to No. 9 in this week’s Class 3A boys’ rankings and are tied with No. 10 Liberty, No. 16 Cedar Falls and Linn-Mar at 3-1 in the division, with No. 13 City High a game back. Key games this week: Prairie at Linn-Mar on Tuesday and Linn-Mar at Liberty on Friday.

10. None of the 24 boys’ substates released by the IHSAA last week has more than a pair of top-12 teams, a good sign of balance. Gazette area top seeds as of Monday would include Iowa City West and Cedar Rapids Prairie in 3A, Marion in 2A and North Fayette Valley and Dyersville Beckman in 1A.

11. Thursday, Waverly-Shell Rock (11-1) became the first Class 2A girls’ team to beat Cedar Rapids Xavier (7-3) this season. Anna Stromberg scored both goals for the No. 5-ranked Go-Hawks in a 2-1 win over No. 4 Xavier. It was a rematch of a state quarterfinal last year, also won by WSR.

Comments: nathan.ford@thegazette.com